Today is ANZAC Day, the day that Australians honour all servicemen and women who serve and have served in conflicts, and peace-keeping operations. This year is an especially important one as on 25 April 1915, members of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) landed on Gallipoli with troops from New Zealand, Britain, and France.

We remember the courage, bravery and strength of the soldiers who died 100 years ago at the Gallipoli landings.

It's my last weekend with Madeleine before she goes home to Canberra and it's the last weekend of the school holidays. It's so sad to see her go but I've really enjoyed spending two weeks with her. We have had such a great break; we've slept in, mooched around in our PJs, consumed a few more teas and coffees than we probably should have, and just enjoyed each other's company.

Here a few highlights of our family's 2015 Autumn Break:

1. Going to the beach

Yes, I know I've said it before but I'm going to say it again....I LOVE this place!

We still have way too many chocolates at our house but sadly I have no more hot cross buns left. I wish I'd bought extra and frozen some for after Easter!

3. Autumn in the Garden

While many of my online friends are sharing pictures of spring I am starting to embrace the shorter days, cooler temps and natural beauty of autumn. My first camellia has flowered so I know that Fall is well and truly here!

4. Spending time with my family.

Long summer days are nearly over so we made the most of the longer days to entertain and share a few meals with our families. Winter will be here before we know it so it was fun to spend time in the sunshine and eating summery foods!

5. Listening to music.

I've had a lot more time to chill and relax with Pandora and Spotify to keep me company. Here are a few of my favourite tunes.

G'day from Oz lovely friends! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit. I hope that your week was as wonderful as mine! I've just returned from my 'happy place', Mooloolaba Beach on the Sunshine Coast in sunny Queensland!

I'm sure that you know by now that Mooloolaba is one of my most favourite places in the world! It's less than an hour's drive away from my hometown of Brisbane so it's so easy to get there for a quick weekend getaway or, in our case, a relaxing week-long vacation.

The Sunshine Coast is famous for its beautiful blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and some of the best weather conditions in the world! In summer the average temperature is 28 degrees C (82F) and in winter the temperature reaches about 18 degrees C (65F). Perhaps that's one of the reasons why the Sunshine Coast has experienced such significant population growth and urban development over the last 30 years.

I love Mooloolaba because it is literally a walk away from everything one could possibly need for a good holiday. There are great coffee shops, cafes and restaurants all along the main strip and there are lots of stylish shops and boutiques if you fancy doing a bit of retail therapy. I often get my hair done there and often get my nails done while I'm on holidays too. There is even a large supermarket at the end of the esplanade for all of your grocery needs. There are so many options for accommodation as well, from the iconic beachfront Peninsular Resort which is right on the Esplanade to the family-friendly Caribbean Apartments which is just one block away from the beach.

The beach itself is absolutely stunning. There are some areas which are suitable for surfers and the areas that are patrolled are usually just perfect for people who like to body surf or use their boogie boards.

There are also some really calm sections of the beach that make it perfect for families with young children. Mooloolaba Beach is actually sheltered by Point Cartwright. You can see the lighthouse and lookout in the picture below. This makes Mooloolaba the pick of the beaches for families, beach-goers and water-sports enthusiasts...for everyone!

If I haven't convinced you that Mooloolaba is the best beach and vacation spot in Queensland then maybe this will!

It sure is hard to be home after such a great week away but at least I know I'm only a quick drive away from the best beach in world if I need another dose of Beach Therapy!

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you have a magical week.

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz

This post is sponsored by True Blue Migration's"Home Comforts” campaign. If you are currently on a temp VISA and wish to make your move to Australia a more permanent one then you might want to get in touch with True Blue Migrations. As always, all opinions are truthful and my own.

Well, I have been BUSY around here. Here is a little snapshot of what's been happening in my life lately...

+Madeleine Moore has moved to Canberra to study Law and International Relations at the Australian National University! This has been a very exciting but very traumatic experience...for me that is, not for Madeleine!

Anyway, she is having a ball in Canberra and has made some beautiful friends. She is already hobnobbing with the politicians down there so I think she is destined to stay down there for a very long time!

Here she is at a United Nations dinner with our Foreign Minister Julie Bishop!

She is only a plane ride away and I've already been down to visit her but I still miss her soooooo much! Happily, she arrives back home for a couple of weeks today so I am very excited indeed!

My boy, Alastair, is not really a boy anymore! He turned 15 this year and is now in Grade 10 - yep, he's High School! Life is very busy for my handsome young scholar.

He is studying hard, singing in two choirs, is an official School Mentor for younger students and was chosen by his school to be a representative on the Lord Mayor's Youth Advisory Council. I'm so proud of him.

I have been very busy teaching! After five years of substitute teaching I've finally taken the plunge and gone back to a more permanent teaching position. I'm just under a full-time load and am loving being back in the classroom! It's nice to have my own classes and to have my own desk.

I've even set up a new blog (once a blogger always a blogger!) all about education and teaching. It's only very new but I hope to use it as an online place to share teaching resources and to keep track of my own personal readings and professional development. If you are an educator and would like to join me over there I would LOVE for you to follow me at Educator in Oz!

My final bit of news is a bit sad....

If you read the title of this post, you might have noticed that I'm saying goodbye to the Say G'day Saturday Linky Party! I decided that I really need to take a step back from hosting the party and am leaving it in the very enthusiastic hands of +Joanne T Ferguson from What's on the List. I have truly loved hosting and nurturing my weekly linky party over the years but, life goes on, changes happen and I knew that I wasn't giving the link party and YOU the attention that it/YOU needed and deserved. Joanne has re-launched the party and is doing such a great job interacting, sharing and promoting the fabulous content of everyone who joins in.

So, as you can see, there have been lots of changes in my life but I'm so excited about all of them. I hope that you will stick with me as I get back to more regular blogging without the pressures of hosting my weekly link up.

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